These Feelings
by A Crumple-Horned Snorkack
Summary: Ron's facing some serious problems and has to deal with them by himself...something he's never had to do before. Because the person he needs so desperately is the person causing him the trouble. Pure fluff, I tell you. COMPLETE
1. Premonition

Alright, alright.

Disclaimer: all people, places, ideas, yadda yadda, belong to J.K. Rowling.

"AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"   
Hermione jumped to her feet as her eyes widened like two round saucers, matching the look of horror that was now etched upon Ron's face.  
"Her--_MIONE!!!_" Ron yelled, his body now being pulled from his position on his knees to the ground, his face turned to the side, his arm submerged in water up to his armpit.  
Hermione jumped frantically from foot to foot at the edge of the lake on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod, WHAT DO I DO?!?!" Harry sat behind Hermione, not making a sound, and Hermione paid him no attention.   
"IT'S...GOT ME!!" Ron managed to grunt while keeping himself from falling into the lake.  
"GOT YOU?!" Hermione's eyes got, if possible, even wider.   
And with one last dramatic roar, Ron yanked his arm out of the lake, spraying Hermione with water. He collapsed on the grass, clutching his stomach, laughing. Harry then followed suit, falling on the ground, tears of laughter causing his eyes to glisten behind his round glasses. Ron was saying something, though it was impossible to tell exactly what he was saying while he laughed, although Hermione heard something along the lines of, 'So gullible!'  
Hermione's face changed from a look of horror to a look of rage. "Well that was the meanest thing you've ever done! I thought you were in TROUBLE!! And the two of you were in on it?" she said, wiping water from her face, and with that she stalked away, heading towards a shady tree.   
Harry and Ron jogged after her, still laughing. "Oh come on, 'Ermione!" Ron grinned widely at Harry, who was wiping his eyes and who now walked on the other side of her. "It was just a joke!"  
"Well I don't think it was a very good one!!" Hermione said hotly, but Ron could have sworn he saw the corner of her mouth raise to form the beginning of a smile. She sped up, leaving the two boys behind as she dove into the shadowy depth of the tree the three of them had sat under many times before. The boys joined her seconds later and all of them stayed silent, Harry and Ron on their backs with their heads on their arms, and Hermione propping herself up with her elbows, letting the heat of the day render the three of them lazy and relaxed.   
"I'm rather nervous about this year, aren't you? What with N.E.W.T.S and all. O.W.L.S were stressful enough," Hermione said casually.  
"Aww Hermione, you just had to go and mention N.E.W.T.S., didn't you?" Harry rubbed his eyes lazily with his right palm.  
"Yeah, can't you just let us enjoy the little stress-free time we have?" Ron said, while swatting at a bee buzzing by his ear.  
"Look, I'm not trying to ruin your 'stress-free time', or anything, but--"  
"Ugh--NO!" Ron covered his right eyebrow with his right hand, pushing himself into a sitting position with his other arm. "Little fucker stung me!"   
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Uh huh...first you almost get pulled into the lake by the Giant Squid, now you get stung by a Blast-Ended Skrewt, what next?"   
"No, I'm serious! And I didn't say it was a Blast-Ended Skrewt," Ron frowned at Hermione.

Hermione sighed and pushed herself up as well, hobbling over to Ron on her knees. "Let me see," Hermione instructed, and took Ron's hand away from his injured forehead. Ron watched Hermione as she inched closer to get a better look. She took his head in her hands, her right hand on the side of his jaw and her left just above his right ear, tilting it up in her direction.   
Her forehead creased as she examined the right side of Ron's head. "I think we'd better take you to Madame Pomfrey."  
"Oh come off it, Hermione, it's just a bee sting," Ron said, rolling his eyes and gently shaking Hermione's hands off of his head.

Hermione grabbed it again hastily, saying,"No, I don't think this is a bee sting. Harry, come get a look at this."   
Harry now moved over to Ron, wearing a thoughtful expression like a doctor might wear before shining his flashlight down a patient's throat.

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding his head. Ron rolled his eyes. "No, no, I'm serious," said Harry. "It's that thing that lives on that plant."   
"Oh, now I know exactly what you mean!" Ron said sarcastically.  
This time Harry rolled his eyes. "Hah, well didn't Neville tell us something about it? Lived on that new plant he got."   
Hermione nodded, "Yeah, that'll be it...look how it's swelling." Ron's forehead had now developed a yellowish bruise. "Nothing Madame Pomfrey can't fix though," Hermione said before getting to her feet and walking toward the castle.   
"Oh bloody hell," Ron said as he and Harry got to their feet as well to follow Hermione.


	2. Distraction

"Come on, Ron!!"  
Ron shook his head fiercely as yet another quaffel shot past him and zoomed neatly through the center hoop.   
"Dammit! Sorry, Harry!" Ron yelled apolegetically. Harry swiftly flew in Ron's direction and at the last second pulled his Firebolt to a halt in front of him, making Ron wince.   
"You gotta FOCUS, Ron! This is the fourth time Ginny's scored on you in the last five minutes!"  
Ron hung his head, ashamed. "I know, I know, it's just--I can't think! Sorry Harry, I'll try harder." Harry sighed and turned, clueless to why his Gryffindor quidditch team keeper was acting so spacey. Though Ron did not want to admit it to even himself, he knew why he was acting this way. It was her. He couldn't stop thinking about her and he didn't know why. Well yes, he supposed he did know why. It was because...because of the way she had held his face that afternoon, truly concerned. Of course there wasn't anything special about the way she had acted, but for some reason it was different that day. He had felt a burst of appreciation for Hermione at that moment, but not like he would feel for just anyone. He often felt bursts of emotion for his family members, or his friends, but this time...it was...different. for different was the only word Ron could find to describe it, because he did not know himself.

_WHOOSH!_

"Ron!"

Ron snapped his eyes back into focus. "What? Ugh, SORRY!" Ron had let the quaffle in.

Harry sighed. He then looked at his watch. "Well, practice is over. Just--just come to practice tomorrow with your brain, all right?"

Ron grimaced guiltily. "Yeah, all right."

An hour later Ron and Harry were walking out of the Gryffindor quidditch locker room.

"So anyway," Harry said, running his hands through his jet black hair, still wet from his shower, making it messier than ever, "I was thinking we could try playing Ginny on left, she seems to be stronger on the left," Harry was speaking fast and excitedly, as he always did when talking about quidditch. "And Katie can play right as well as she can play left, even if she's not the best shot from the left, because she could just play it to Ginny and--"

"Do you have the time?" Ron interrupted.

"Oh yeah, it's 8:15" His green eyes were vivid behind his round glasses.

Ron slapped his hand to his forehead. "I told Ernie MacMillan I would help him study at 8! Sorry Harry, I'll have to catch up with you later. But yeah, the lineup sounds fantastic!" And with that he had taken off down the hall in the direction of the library.

Ron did indeed meet with Ernie in the library after departing with Harry, and it was not until 11:30 at night when he wearily stumbled into the Gryffindor common room. Ron approached the spiral staircase that lead to the boys' dormitory, but before he did so he performed a habitual scan of the common room, and much to his surprise found only one person, asleep on a couch that was facing the fire. Hermione.


	3. Recognition

He remained in his position at the foot of the stairs, his gaze transfixed on Hermione's golden skin, the fire in the fireplace casting a soft glow over her body.   
He was not aware that he was walking until he had arrived at the back of the couch where Hermione lay, his hands folded neatly on the top of its high, velvety back. Ron noticed a large maroon colored book laying face down on her stomach. The fire reflected on the golden letters on the cover of the book, making them seem alive, dancing figures in the dying light.  
Once again his feet obeyed an action he was sure his brain had not commanded, and he found himself walking around the back of the couch and lightly sitting on the edge of the cushions, sandwiching Hermione's body between his hip and the back of the couch. For a moment she stirred. Ron watched with bated breath as Hermione shifted positions, momentarily thrusting her chest out the move her hips more toward the left. She remained asleep.   
Ron studied Hermione's features. Having been friends with Hermione for nearly seven years, Ron had seen every expression, memorized every detail of her face. Yet now, as she slept, her face the epitome of peacefulness, she wore no expression of worry, mystery, or curiosity. She was not cornering Ron with a look of disapproval or doubt as she usually might. Now, as she slept, Ron appreciated all the detail he had so conveniently missed all these years.

She certainly had changed since the year before. She wore make up now, and had discovered how to style her hair. Ron lightly brushed a lock of brown hair from Hermione's face. It was no longer poofy and scraggily, forming a frizzy halo around her face, but smooth, shiny, with large bouncy curls. His eyes followed the length of her hair, ending with a wavy lock that fell across her delicate collarbone.

The tee shirt Hermione wore was small and had a low U-cut front, which revealed a tantalizing amount of soft cleavage. Ron gulped. He let his eyes travel back up, past her neck to her face once again. Hermione's eye lashes were long and dark, framed against her soft skin, which was so smooth and beautiful it was almost unreal, like the surface of a glassy, placid lake. The fire continued to burn, making her skin a soft shade of orange.   
Suddenly a jolt unexpectedly erupted through Ron's body and he surprised himself by reaching out his right hand to run his fingers down her soft, round cheek. It felt just as smooth as he had thought it would be. Ron imagined stroking this skin in different circumstances. He imagined her eyes being open, looking into his own, smiling as though the action of Ron touching her skin had made her happy....  
           She wore a navy blue skirt that reached her mid-thigh. Her legs stretched across the remaining space of the couch and Ron felt another jolt go through his body as he observed her long, smooth, curvy legs. He felt another urge to reach out and touch her legs, but this time he resisted.

Suddenly it occurred to Ron how much of a woman Hermione now was. She was more than just a friend who happened to be a girl, but a woman with feelings, fantasies, breasts...  
Ron found his gaze once again upon her face, now observing her lips. They were soft and plump, just barely parted in the middle. His mind wandered again, thinking how it would be to feel those lips under his very own. To feel them against his cheek, his neck.   
Ron shook his head, as if he could make these new thoughts of Hermione fall out of his ears. But his mind didn't snap back to reality, as he thought it would once he had broken this trance. His mind was still on Hermione, her hair, her legs, her lips. Those lips...  
               Ron leaned his head down slowly, touching Hermione's lips with his own. It turned out, Ron found, that they felt like squishy warm pillows. It was a short kiss, and his body quickly shot up, off the couch. He turned and had almost made it to the foot of the boys' staircase when--


	4. Confirmation

"Ron?"   
Ron stopped dead and felt his face flush, making it unbearably hot. He silently thanked God that he was facing away from Hermione. He controlled what emotion he could and turned around. "Yeah?"   
Hermione closed the distance between them, standing a foot away. "This is going to sound really stupid, I know, but--" Hermione looked at the ground. "I was probably dreaming or something, but...did you--uh--kiss me?"   
Ron's face flushed again, and it flushed even more knowing that Hermione could see it now. "Kiss? I-- didn't--uh--no."   
Hermione's face turned crimson as well. "Crazy dream, huh?" She laughed.   
Ron laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, crazy."  
"Well, I guess I'll be off to bed. What time is it, anyway?" She yawned.  
Ron looked at his watch. "Quarter to midnight," he replied calmly. "Pretty late."  
Hermione nodded. "Yeah...well, I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good night."  
" 'Night, Hermione."  
Hermione brushed past Ron, heading towards the girls' dormitory staircase. Ron began to walk just as Hermione turned around, apparently needing to tell Ron one last thing. This left them in close proximity, their faces barely inches apart. Neither moved away.  
"Oh," Hermione said quietly, looking up at Ron's face. "Sorry, I was just going to ask..." she trailed off as her eyes met his. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds until Hermione moved her head closer to Ron's, tilting her head slightly to the side. Their lips did not meet, however. Hermione opened her mouth slightly, and then closed it slightly, without actually closing it, as they stood in the Gryffindor common room, feeling one another's warm breath. Ron's hand touched Hermione's, his fingertips dancing along her own. His eyes were looking down, watching Hermione's eyes, which were almost closed.

Ron spoke. "Hermione," she could barely hear him. "I--I love you." Hermione's eyes widened. "I really do."

Then, meekly, and with hesitation, Ron put his lips on Hermione's with the utmost care.

"I love you too," she breathed.

Ron's hand crept upwards, until his hand was lost in her hair, and he kissed her again, more passionately this time, his tongue exploring Hermione's own. Hermione's left hand sneaked under Ron's gray tee shirt and glided, open palmed, up Ron's lean, muscular back to his broad shoulders. She felt Ron shiver once as his skin broke out into goose bumps. Her other hand came to a rest on the top of Ron's thigh. A small moan escaped his lips, and Hermione grinned. Suddenly Ron broke the kiss. His hand remained in her hair as the distance between their faces grew to a few inches.   
"Hermione," he breathed, and Hermione closed her eyes.   
"Yeah?" she said, barely audible.  
Ron suddenly backed away. "Your book," he said formally, and cleared his throat. He covered the distance between the two of them and the couch in three large strides and returned with Hermione's maroon book clamped between his thumb and four fingers.   
Hermione eyed her book. "Ah, yes. My book." She took it from him. "Thank you, Ron." She looked from the book to Ron, back to the book. "Well, see you tomorrow."   
"Yes, see you tomorrow."

And with that Hermione turned to walk up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Ron watched her until she disappeared around the curving wall, and then proceeded up his own staircase, thumping his forehead slightly with a balled fist.

"Stupid, stupid..." he murmured to himself.


	5. Confusion

" 'You forgot your BOOK?' " Harry made an exasperated yelp. "Ron, I'd think you could do better than that." Harry had seemed a bit taken aback when Ron had first told him what had happened between he and Hermione just a few moments before, but he was now supportive.

"Of all the people in the world, I just kissed Hermione Granger. One of my two best friends," Ron said.

"Kind of like kissing a sister, really," Harry said, matter-of-factly. Ron groaned.

Ron and Harry were in their room, Harry sitting up on his bed with his legs under the covers, "Quidditch Through the Ages" open and face down on his lap. Ron sat on the edge of his bed, still in his day clothes, his face resting in his hands, which were propped up on his knees.

"Well that's just the thing," Ron said. "I've never really thought of Hermione as anything but a friend, or even a sister."

"So you've got feelings for her then?" Harry asked.

Ron's eyes got wide. To say it would make it final. "Yeah...yeah I--I guess I do."

Suddenly it occurred to Ron the options that lay before them. He knew he was having feelings for Hermione, and apparently she was having them in return...but what to do about them?

Ron's face adopted a very thoughtful expression as he pondered. "Do you suppose she'll expect us to be boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

Harry thought about this. "Well, I suppose. That is what girls want, isn't it?"

Ron thought of all the years he had known Hermione. She had never let he and Harry down when it came to homework assignments, staying up until the early hours of the morning to help them finish essays. And then of course there was her bossy personality and strive to keep Harry and Ron from breaking the rules, which earned many looks of disappointment or warning that only Hermione could make. None of that would change...would it?

Ron recalled the time last year during his 6th year that he had dated a Ravenclaw named Lucy Turner. They had Charms together and they made each other laugh, but when they started dating, it seemed they could only hold hands, say nice things to each other, sneak off when no one was looking...not that Ron didn't want to do any of that, but it was a lot to take.

Would that also happen to he and Hermione if they dated? Ron had to admit that if it did, he might miss those disapproving looks. What about Harry? Would things change if when they all walked together, he and Hermione held hands?

"I think I'll just talk to--"

Hermione.

He needed to talk to Hermione. About...Hermione. Who would he receive advice from if the one person he needs it from is the one person he needs it on?

"Things will change, then," Ron said, mostly to himself. "They already have."


	6. Solution

A/N: Ok, my story isn't really turning out the way I'd like, but I'm going to keep going. I just need to know what yall are thinking about it so far. Please review! I'm on my knees here! Well, no, I'm not actually on my knees...but if that's what it takes...I'll do it. Seriously.

For those of you who did review: THANKS!

Cassandra Paige: I know what you mean about the typical HP fanfic writing. I figure with this story I'll just get the fluff out of my system and then I'll really try something challenging. Thanks though, I'll keep that in mind!

GeekGurl: Oh yeah! Katie Bell would be gone wouldn't she? Oops. Thanks for the reminder! Also, they would be in uniform, but I figure they don't stay in their uniforms when they don't have classes, so I just decided to write about them in some normal clothes.

And to newtallelegant, bilbobaggins, and Lono: I'm glad you're enjoying it, thanks for the reviews!

Ron and Harry awoke that morning with nothing but Slytherin on their minds. For that was who they would face on the Quidditch pitch that day. The butterflies in Ron's stomach were fierce, but nowhere near as bad as they were when he first started playing in his 5th year.

Harry however, handled himself like a pro, seemingly unaware of their match. "Breakfast?" He said when they were dressed.

Ron chuckled. Despite Ron's obsession with food, they both knew Ron would eat nothing that morning.

Ron and Harry arrived in the Great Hall to many thumbs up and "Hey, Harry! Hey, Ron!" from all the houses except of course Slytherin. Hermione was already seated with Ginny and there were two Gryffindor flags lying next to their plates. Harry and Ron sat across from the two girls. Hermione made eye contact with Ron, and Ron looked away quickly, as if he had been caught doing something wrong. He immediately started piling food on his plate to give his hands something to do.

"Hungry?" Ginny asked, surprised.

"Oh..yeah," Ron said, lifting a fork full of scrambled eggs to his mouth, reconsidering, and then putting it back on his plate, turning slightly pale at the sight of food.

The rest finished their breakfast, and the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams began to leave the Great Hall. Ron had just exited the Great Hall and had turned the corner when Hermione ran up to him.

"For good luck," she said, and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. But before her lips could reach his cheek, Ron backed up abruptly.

"I really have to go," he looked at the ground. "See you later, Hermione," and he was gone. Hermione, mildly surprised, walked back to the Great Hall.

The members of both Quidditch teams flew out onto the field as their names were called to stands full of screaming teachers and students. As Ron did a lap around the field, he saw Hermione in the front row of the Gryffindor section. The game began.

Five minutes went by unceremoniously, the chasers of both teams fighting for possession of the quaffle, until finally a Slytherin chaser broke away with it under his beefy arm and got so close to Ron that he could tell that his eyes were green. Ron did his best to predict which way the 6th year would shoot, leaving no hoop deserted, but as the Slytherin threw the ball and Ron tried to dive for it, a tugging on his robes prevented him from going any further. Ron's face flushed hotly as he wondered with horror if he had gotten his robes caught on something--a hoop, or maybe the Slytherin chaser. But once the quaffle had sailed through the left hoop, Ron looked behind him and saw that the 6th year had a fist full of Ron's robes in his hand, pulling him backwards. Ron was reminded of how Malfoy had once grabbed the end of Harry's broom during a match.

As soon as Ron saw him, he let go as the Slytherins cheered and the Gryffindors protested. Ron's face now was not flushed by embarrassment, but in fury. He whipped his broom around to face the boy.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! You can't go grabbing people's robes like that, you moron!" The boy's stupid smile dropped from his face and matched Ron's look of anger. But just as he looked like he was ready to hit Ron, Madame Hooch came to a halt beside the two boys. Ron sighed loudly.

"Madame Hooch, you saw him grab my robes, didn't you?"

"Sorry, Weasley, I didn't see any obvious rule breaking." Ron's mouth fell open. It turned out Madame Hooch had been distracted by a Slytherin beater picking a fight with a Gryffindor beater. Ron sighed exasperatedly and turned quickly to float in front of his three hoops once again, looking livid.

"Well?! Let's get it on with!" he yelled.

So the game resumed, Slytherin in the lead until Ginny scored two times back to back, sending the Gryffindor section into a round of cheering and putting them in the lead.

From that point on, there were 5 more attempts to score on Gryffindor, and Ron blocked every one of them, making one particularly amazing save, where he dodged a bludger by hopping off his broom, so that the bludger flew under him and above his broom, then landed right as he caught the quaffle against his chest, earning a round of "Weasley is our King" from the Gryffindors.

An hour into the game Harry spotted the snitch. He dove toward Ron's goal post as Malfoy turned to follow him. Once again, Harry did not let the Gryffindors down, grabbing the snitch before Malfoy could even catch up to him. The stands all around the Quidditch field erupted in a cacophony of cheering.

Half an hour later Ron was walking out of the Gryffindor locker room, showered and with a bounce in his step. The corridor was deserted when Hermione ran up to him.

"Ron!" She kissed his cheek. "Oh you did so great!" Hermione put her arms around Ron's neck. She lowered her voice. "I thought it was really brave of you to stand up to that Slytherin Chaser."

Ron's face turned bright red as he took Hermione's hands off his neck. "Ah, thanks, well, I have to go...to...quidditch.."

"But, Ron, you just came from quidditch. You just played a game."

"Funny, isn't it?" He chuckled uncomfortably.

"Ron. Please. Just talk to me. I've been thinking a lot about last night, and it just seems to me like you've been acting...very strangely."

For the first time all day Ron paused and looked directly into Hermione's face. He spoke softly, as if he was trying to explain a complicated concept to a child.

"Look, Hermione. I don't know what happened last night. I just--got caught up in the moment I guess. And when I said that I loved you...I don't know why I said that...it just..." he swallowed. "It just kinda popped out. I'm sorry."

Hermione's eyes filled with furious tears.

"You know what..." she started, and then shook her head, turning to walk in the opposite direction. She did not run, but Ron did not try to go after her. He wouldn't know what to say when he caught up to her.


	7. Reception

A/N: Sorry if the last part of this story seems a bit rushed, that's only because it is.

Ron managed to avoid Hermione the rest of the day, which happened to be quite uneventful. After the Quidditch match, the Gryffindors were all to be found in the common room, celebrating their win with butterbeer and sweets that someone had swiped. As Ron stood by a table piled with food, Ginny and Hermione joined him at the table.

"Good game, Gin!" Ron told his sister.

"Thanks, Ron. And you! You made some great plays today!" Ron smiled appreciatively.

Hermione spoke up, looking at Ginny. "Yeah, great job, Ginny. That was a great game you played." Ginny smiled.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron said casually.

Hermione turned to stare at Ron. "So now you want to talk to me? Well, now that you are, do you mind thinking over what you're going to say to me thoroughly? Wouldn't want something to pop out so that you have to take it back later." Her tone was perfectly calm, and her gaze remained casual.

"Hermione..." He lowered his voice, in hopes that Hermione might do the same. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to hurt you--" Ron stopped at the stern and hurt look that he received from Hermione.

"Ron, it's not that I'm upset and heartbroken that I love you and you don't love me." Her face turned scarlet, but she continued. "Mostly because you couldn't keep your stupid urges to yourself which made me look like a fool. I'm not the one who kissed you when you were asleep, all right? And foolish me, I actually thought you were being sincere." She said this last part mostly to herself and scoffed loudly.

Ron looked at the ground. "Look, I'm really sorry and everything, but I didn't make you look foolish. At least, I don't think you look foolish."

"You really don't get it, do you Ron?" She whipped around and ran up the girls' dormitory staircase. Ginny stared at Ron, her mouth hanging open slightly. Ron sighed hopelessly.

"I really don't. I don't get it." He plopped down in a large armchair. Ginny followed him to the chair and sat lightly on one of the arms.

"Well, it seems simple enough to me, and I don't even know what happened. You did and said something you shouldn't have."

"No, I get that part. What I don't understand is what I should do." He let his head drop in his hands. "I don't even know what I'm feeling anymore."

"Well, from what I understand from last night, you kissed Hermione. Then you told each other that you loved each other. But you lied to her."

"I didn't lie to her!" Ron's head shot up as he spat these words out.

"So you do love her?"

A long silence followed Ginny's inquisition. "I don't know," Ron finally said.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You do know, Ronald. You're just not saying it. Because there's something on your mind."

Ron sat for a while, pondering this. "I need to sleep on it, I think," he got up numbly.

"Maybe that's a good idea."

Ron stood up and walked towards the boys' dormitory staircase, fighting his way through the sea of Gryffindors pulling at his arms and shirt, trying to get him to stay, to talk to them about the day's match. But he made it to the staircase, and as he did, he paused. And then, as if it had been his plan all along, he made his way over to the girls' staircase. Before stepping on the first stair, he remembered from his 5th year the stairs turning into a stone slide as he tried to climb up them. So, instead, he called.

"HERMIONE!" He listened to his voice carry to the top of the stairs. "COME DOWN, WILL YOU?"

And then, after a pause, he heard a distant, "No!"

"Come on, Hermione! Just come down! If you don't, I'll just apparate up there anyway!"

There was a pause, and then," YOU CAN'T APPARATE ON SCHOOL GROUNDS!"

Ron chuckled. "I know, I know!! Ok, will you please just come down!?! I.... I love you!" He had meant for this to be carefully spoken and meaningful, which made it a difficult thing to yell. There was the longest pause yet, and Ron feared Hermione had left. But then he saw Hermione's feet, and then as she descended the staircase, came to stand in front of Ron.

"If you think for one second--"

"Wait, wait, wait...not here, can we talk about this somewhere else?"


	8. Resolution

So before she could protest, Ron seized Hermione's wrist and lead her up the steps to his dormitory room. Luckily the room was deserted, so they could have a private conversation. Ron let go of Hermione's arm as they entered the room, and he closed the door behind him. Hermione took a seat on Ron's bed and Ron faced her, sitting on Harry's bed.

"Hermione, I didn't lie to you last night. I wouldn't take back anything I said or did last night."

Hermione's face stayed in its disbelieving glare. "Then why? Why, Ron?"

"Why have I been being such a bastard lately? I guess because I was scared." With his elbows resting on his knees, Ron studied his hands, which were folded in front of him. "Hermione...for as long as I've known you, you've been like...like the second half of my brain. You're the one who always pulls me through the tough spots, and you're the one I always go to when I'm confused."

Hermione's expression began to soften, and Ron continued. "I was afraid of losing you the way you are now. I don't really know what I'm doing without you. I'm sorry."

Ron looked up into Hermione's face. To his surprise, she was also looking down, and she was smiling slightly. He left his position on Harry's bed and sat next to Hermione.

"I need you, Hermione. I don't know what I'm doing." He smiled.

Hermione looked up. "Well, I'll help you now. You should kiss me," she said quietly. Ron's face turned scarlet in a flash, but he grinned slightly. He touched Hermione's lips with his own. His fingertips stroked Hermione's soft cheek, and she smiled into his own smiling eyes. They both laughed, for it was difficult to kiss while smiling so widely. And now, as Ron placed his other hand on the back of Hermione's head, lost in her silky hair, the kiss deepened.

Finally they separated.

"You know, I don't think I need to consult you for everything that concerns my love life from now on," Ron said.

"Oh really? Well, what will be the first decision you make without consulting me?" Hermione looked curious.

For a moment Ron looked thoughtful, stroking his chin. Then he smiled, and kissed Hermione again.


End file.
